Frank C. Havens
Encyclopedia
Frank Colton Havens was born into one of the founding families of Shelter Island, New York
, the son of Wickham Havens of Sag Harbor.
from the late 19th to early 20th centuries who also was a major developer of real estate in the East Bay
, particularly in the cities of Oakland
, Berkeley
and Piedmont
. He built the four-story Havens Mansion in Piedmont on Wildwood Gardens using Maybeck and Tiffany. Havens was a follower of Eastern philosophy and meditation and the mansion had an opium smoking bed in it and inscription (add)related to this Philosophy.
Throughout his life, Havens maintained a summer home in Sag Harbor.
and was originally the parent company of the Key System
transit company. His son, Harold C. Havens followed his father into real estate development in the East Bay area.
One of his nephews was George Sterling
, a noted local poet.
His great grandson, Wickham Brandy Havens is an institution in Las Vegas. He currently serves as the concierge at Fitzgerald's Casino.
The upper floor interiors were created by a Japanese architect (add name)
adjacent to the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. His mansion had an unfinished and unused tomb room.
in Piedmont is also named for him.
Shelter Island (town), New York
Shelter Island is a town and island at the eastern end of Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. It forms the tip of Suffolk County and is separated from the rest of the county by water. The population was 2,228 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, the son of Wickham Havens of Sag Harbor.
Biography
He was a lawyer in the San Francisco Bay AreaSan Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
from the late 19th to early 20th centuries who also was a major developer of real estate in the East Bay
East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)
The East Bay is a commonly used, informal term for the lands on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay, in the San Francisco Bay Area, in California, United States...
, particularly in the cities of Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
and Piedmont
Piedmont, California
Piedmont is a small, affluent city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is surrounded by the city of Oakland. The population was 10,667 at the 2010 census. Piedmont was incorporated in 1907 and was developed significantly in the 1920s and 1930s...
. He built the four-story Havens Mansion in Piedmont on Wildwood Gardens using Maybeck and Tiffany. Havens was a follower of Eastern philosophy and meditation and the mansion had an opium smoking bed in it and inscription (add)related to this Philosophy.
Throughout his life, Havens maintained a summer home in Sag Harbor.
Associates
Havens was closely associated with Francis "Borax" Smith through their "Realty Syndicate" which, among other things, built the Claremont HotelClaremont Resort
The Claremont Hotel Club & Spa is a historic hotel at the foot of Claremont Canyon in the Berkeley Hills, providing the resort with scenic views of San Francisco Bay. The hotel building is entirely in Oakland, bordering Berkeley....
and was originally the parent company of the Key System
Key System
The Key System was a privately owned company which provided mass transit in the cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Emeryville, Piedmont, San Leandro, Richmond, Albany and El Cerrito in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area from 1903 until 1960, when the system was sold to a newly formed public...
transit company. His son, Harold C. Havens followed his father into real estate development in the East Bay area.
One of his nephews was George Sterling
George Sterling
George Sterling was an American poet based in California who, during his time, was celebrated in Northern California as one of the greatest American poets, although he never gained much fame in the rest of the United States.-Biography:Sterling was born in Sag Harbor, Long Island, New York, the...
, a noted local poet.
His great grandson, Wickham Brandy Havens is an institution in Las Vegas. He currently serves as the concierge at Fitzgerald's Casino.
The upper floor interiors were created by a Japanese architect (add name)
Deaths
He died February 9, 1917 at his home in Piedmont. His ashes are interred at the Chapel of the ChimesChapel of the Chimes (Oakland, California)
Chapel of the Chimes was founded in 1909 as a crematory and columbarium in Oakland, California. The present building dates largely from a 1928 redevelopment based on the designs of the architect Julia Morgan. The Moorish- and Gothic-inspired interior is a maze of small rooms featuring ornate...
adjacent to the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. His mansion had an unfinished and unused tomb room.
Acknowledgements
A boulevard in Oakland is named for one of his namesake developments, Havenscourt. The Frank C. Havens Elementary SchoolFrank C. Havens Elementary School
Frank C. Havens Elementary, commonly referred to as Havens, is one the three elementary schools in Piedmont, California. It is part of the Piedmont Unified School District.-History:...
in Piedmont is also named for him.